Filler particles for polymers

ABSTRACT

A composite material comprises a polymer matrix having microstructure filler materials that comprise a plurality of interconnected units wherein the units are formed of connected tubes. The tubes may be formed by photo-initiating the polymerization of a monomer in a pattern of interconnected units to form a polymer microlattice, removing unpolymerized monomer, coating the polymer microlattice with a metal, removing the polymer microlattice to leave a metal microlattice, growing or depositing a material on the metal microlattice such as graphene, hexagonal boron nitride or other ceramic, and subsequently removing the metal microlattice.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/611,511 filed on Dec. 28, 2017. This application is related to the application entitled “sp²-Bonded Carbon Structures” filed concurrently herewith which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/611,347 filed on Dec. 28, 2017, and to the application entitled “Multi-layered sp²-Bonded Carbon Tubes” filed concurrently herewith which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/611,483 filed on Dec. 28, 2017, and to the application entitled “Hexagonal Boron Nitride Structures” filed concurrently herewith which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/611,499 filed on Dec. 28, 2017, and to the application entitled “Multi-Super Lattice For Switchable Arrays” filed concurrently herewith, and to the application entitled “Gas Sensor With Superlattice Structure” filed concurrently herewith which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/611,554 filed on Dec. 29, 2017, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND

Graphene is a single-layer sp²-hybridized 2D network of carbon atoms that conceptually serves as the basis of many important allotropes of carbon. It can be stacked to form 3D graphite, rolled to form 1D carbon nanotubes, and fused to form 0D fullerenes. Owing to its strongly delocalized electron configuration, graphene exhibits exceptional charge carrier mobility, thermal conductivity, mechanical strength, and chemical stability. However, like other nanomaterials, the properties of graphene depend on its size, atomic structure, and physical environment. Graphene and graphene-based materials have tailorable properties that can be exploited in a broad range of devices, including transistors, capacitors, electron field emitters, transparent conductors, sensors, catalysts, and drug delivery agents. Other 2D crystals, most notably boron nitride and molybdenum disulfide, have also been isolated.

Two-dimensional (2D) sp²-bonded carbon exists in the form of graphene, buckyballs and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Graphene is “flat” or 2D, fullerenes (“Buckyballs”) are spherical or 0D, and CNTs are tubes in 1D. Forming these materials in a singular, regular, repeatable structure has not previously been achieved. Superstructures of these materials may provide very strong, light, highly thermally and electrically conductive structures. Attempts have been made to fabricate sp²-bonded sponges as shown in FIG. 1A, however these structures are irregular with properties that vary with position.

The isolation of graphene via the mechanical exfoliation of graphite has sparked strong interest in two-dimensional (2D) layered materials. The properties of graphene include exceptional strength, and high electrical and thermal conductivity, while being lightweight, flexible and transparent. This opens the possibility of a wide range of potential applications, including high-speed transistors and sensors, barrier materials, solar cells, batteries, and composites.

Other classes of 2D materials of interest include transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) materials, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), as well as those based on Group 14 elements, such as silicene and germanene. The properties of these materials can range from semi-metallic, for example, NiTe₂ and VSe₂, to semiconducting, for example, WSe₂ and MoS₂, to insulating, for example, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN).

Growth of regular 3D superstructures using sp²-bonded carbon may address the shortcomings of the flexible sp² carbons for 3D applications given that hexagonally arranged carbon is strong, chemically inert, electrically and thermally conductive, and optically transparent. Such 3D superstructures may find use in many applications from packaging, thin optically transparent electrically conductive strong thin films, and more.

When a carbon atom is attached to three groups (or, as in the case of graphene, three other carbon atoms) and so is involved in three a bonds, it requires three orbitals in the hybrid set. This requires that it be sp² hybridized.

An sp²-hybridized bond has 33% s and 67% p character. The three sp² hybrid orbitals point towards the corners of a triangle at 120° to each other. Each sp² hybrid is involved in a σ bond. The remaining p orbital forms the π bond. A carbon double bond may be viewed as a σ+π bond.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In one example, a composite material 44 comprises a polymer matrix 42 with filler particles 40 dispersed within the polymer matrix. The filler particles have a microstructure comprised of a plurality of interconnected units with the units formed of graphene, metallic, or ceramic tubes. The microstructure may comprise a plurality of interconnected units including at least a first unit formed of first graphene tubes; and a second unit formed of second graphene tubes wherein one or more of the second graphene tubes are connected to one or more of the first graphene tubes. The tubes that form the microstructure may be arranged in an ordered structure and form symmetric patterns that repeat along the principal directions of three-dimensional space. Such micro-structured particles used as fillers 40 in composite materials 44 such as filled organic, inorganic, or organic-inorganic polymers may enhance certain characteristics of the resulting composite such as strength, thermal conductivity, and/or electrical conductivity.

A method of forming a graphene microstructure is disclosed herein which comprises: photo-initiating the polymerization of a monomer in a pattern of interconnected units to form a polymer microlattice; removing unpolymerized monomer; coating the polymer microlattice with a metal; removing the polymer microlattice to leave a metal microlattice; depositing graphitic carbon on the metal microlattice; converting the graphitic carbon to graphene; and removing the metal microlattice.

Micron-size particulate fillers 40 (for example carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, metallic, ceramic, metallic-ceramic, etc.) may be fabricated using a self-propagating photopolymer waveguide technique to selectively initiate polymerization of a photomonomer in a repeating pattern.

The fillers fabricated by this method may then be mixed with an organic, inorganic, or organic-inorganic polymeric matrix 42 followed by appropriate processing such as hot molding, cold molding and annealing, etc. to fabricate the composite 44.

The fillers 40 fabricated by this method may then be mixed with a pre-polymer i.e., an oligomer of an organic or inorganic or organic-inorganic polymeric matrix followed by curing/polymerization such as by UV irradiation, heat treatment, cold molding followed by annealing, and hot molding to fabricate the composite 44.

The fabricated microlattice fillers 40 can be surface-modified through chemical grafting of appropriate functional groups prior to composite fabrication. The type of grafted functional groups may be selected for compatibility with the organic polymeric matrix 42.

The oligomer or pre-polymer matrix may be functionalized prior to the fabricating of a related composite with the fillers 40.

The fillers 40, as well as the pre-polymer matrix 42, may be functionalized prior to fabricating the composites 44.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1A is a schematic drawing of a fabrication process for a metal-based microlattice template in accordance with an example.

FIG. 1B is a flowchart for the fabrication process depicted schematically in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the fabrication of an electrically, thermally, or both thermally and electrically conductive composite by embedding a fabricated metal-based or graphene-based microlattice within an organic polymer matrix.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a surface functionalization methodology for functionalizing a fabricated metal-based microlattice.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of exemplary superlattice fillers being incorporated within an organic polymeric matrix such as polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF), polyethylene, polybutadiene, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and the like.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It has been found that an organic/inorganic superstructure may be used as a template for the formation of a 3D metal superstructure that may then be used to grow e.g. graphitic carbon on the surface of the metal. The template may be fabricated through a self-propagating photopolymer waveguide technique (see, e.g., Xiaoyu Zheng et. al., Ultralight, Ultrastiff Mechanical Metamaterials; Science 344 (2014) 1373-1377 and T. A. Schaedler, et al., Ultralight Metallic Microlattices; Science 334 (2011) 962-965). As illustrated schematically in FIG. 1A, an interconnected 3D photopolymer lattice may be produced upon exposure of an appropriate liquid photomonomer 16 to collimated UV light 12 through a specifically designed (e.g. using a computer-aided design model 10) digital mask 14 that contains openings with certain spacing and size. The fabricated organic polymer template microlattice 18 may then be then coated by electroless copper or other suitable metal (e.g. Ni, Co, Au, Ag, Cu, and alloys thereof) followed by etching away the organic polymeric matrix (scaffold). The resulting metal-based microlattice may be then used as a template to grow the graphitic carbon. The thickness of the electroless plated metal may be controlled in the range of nanometer to micrometer by adjusting the plating time, temperature, and/or plating chemistry.

FIG. 1A schematically illustrates an exemplary fabrication process of organic polymeric microlattices (scaffolds) 18 prior to coating with electroless plating.

The present disclosure includes a “periodically structured” carbon nanostructure. The carbon nanostructures of the prior art are irregular and have much larger dimensions than those which may be achieved using the methodology disclosed herein.

The present process may be used to create a regular array, and the superstructure dimensions (unit) and structure may be optimized for strength, thermal and other fundamental properties.

There are several aspects of this procedure that are noteworthy:

-   -   it provides a regular structure with defined dimensions;     -   it can form very thin metal (e.g. Ni, Co, Cu, Ag, Au)         microlattices;     -   it enables the formation of graphitic carbon on very thin metals         by a surface-limited process for very thin metal wires or tubes.

The present process uses a polymeric structure as a template for such fabrication with the subsequent formation of a metal superstructure that may then be exposed to a hydrocarbon (e.g. methane, ethylene, acetylene, benzene) to form graphitic carbon, followed by etching of the metal from under the graphitic carbon using appropriate etchants such as, for example, FeCl₃ or potassium permanganate.

Collimated UV light 12 through a photomask 14 or multi-photon lithography may be used in a photo-initiated polymerization to produce a polymer microlattice 18 comprised of a plurality of interconnected units. Exemplary polymers include polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Once polymerized in the desired pattern, the remaining un-polymerized monomer may be removed.

The polymer structure (polymer scaffold) may then be plated with a suitable metal using an electroless plating process.

Electroless nickel plating (EN) is an auto-catalytic chemical technique that may be used to deposit a layer of nickel-phosphorus or nickel-boron alloy on a solid workpiece, such as metal, plastic, or ceramic. The process relies on the presence of a reducing agent, for example hydrated sodium hypophosphite (NaPO₂H₂.H₂O) which reacts with the metal ions to deposit metal. Alloys with different percentages of phosphorus, ranging from 2-5 (low phosphorus) to up to 11-14 (high phosphorus) are possible. The metallurgical properties of the alloys depend on the percentage of phosphorus.

Electroless plating has several advantages over electroplating. Free from flux-density and power supply issues, it provides an even deposit regardless of workpiece geometry, and with the proper pre-plate catalyst, may deposit on non-conductive surfaces. In contradistinction, electroplating can only be performed on electrically conductive substrates.

Before performing electroless plating, the material to be plated must be cleaned by a series of chemicals; this is known as the pre-treatment process. Failure to remove unwanted “soils” from the part's surface results in poor plating. Each pre-treatment chemical must be followed by water rinsing (normally two to three times) to remove chemicals that may adhere to the surface. De-greasing removes oils from surfaces, whereas acid cleaning removes scaling.

Activation may be done with an immersion into a sensitizer/activator solution—for example, a mixture of palladium chloride, tin chloride, and hydrochloric acid. In the case of non-metallic substrates, a proprietary solution is often used.

The pre-treatment required for the deposition of metals on a non-conductive surface usually consists of an initial surface preparation to render the substrate hydrophilic. Following this initial step, the surface may be activated by a solution of a noble metal, e.g., palladium chloride. Electroless bath formation varies with the activator. The substrate is then ready for electroless deposition.

The reaction is accomplished when hydrogen is released by a reducing agent, normally sodium hypophosphite (with the hydrogen leaving as a hydride ion) or thiourea, and oxidized, thus producing a negative charge on the surface of the part. The most common electroless plating method is electroless nickel plating, although silver, gold and copper layers can also be applied in this manner.

In principle any hydrogen-based reducing agent can be used although the redox potential of the reducing half-cell must be high enough to overcome the energy barriers inherent in liquid chemistry. Electroless nickel plating most often employs hypophosphite as the reducer while plating of other metals like silver, gold and copper typically makes use of low-molecular-weight aldehydes.

A benefit of this approach is that the technique can be used to plate diverse shapes and types of surfaces.

As illustrated in FIG. 1B, the organic polymeric microlattice may be electrolessly plated 20 with metal followed by dissolving out 22 the organic polymer scaffold. The resulting metal-based microlattice may be used in several applications 24—e.g. it may then be coated with a thin layer of immersion tin in order to prevent the metal from oxidizing during the subsequent process which may include a heat treatment. Alternatively, the surface of the metal-based microlattice may be functionalized with appropriate functional groups 26 in order to provide anchoring or reactions sites for subsequent interaction with a polymer matrix. A copper/nickel super-lattice may be used. The fabricated and surface-treated metallic network 30 may be embedded within an organic polymeric matrix 32 to fabricate an electrically or thermally or both an electrically and thermally conductive composite 34 (see FIG. 2). Alternatively, the fabricated metal-based microlattice may be used as a template 28 to synthesize a graphitic carbon superstructure. The metal may then be etched away to produce a graphene microstructure comprising a plurality of interconnected units wherein the units are formed of interconnected graphene tubes that are interconnected by chemical electronic bonds (as distinguished from van der Waals forces which may cause carbon nanotubes to agglomerate).

In another example, metal-coated organic polymeric microlattices may be used as fillers in a polymer matrix. A method of forming such a composite material may comprise: photo-initiating the polymerization of a monomer in a pattern of interconnected units to form polymer microlattices; removing unpolymerized monomer; coating the polymer microlattices with a metal; and dispersing the metal-coated polymer microlattices in a polymer matrix. As described above, the metal coating may be applied by an electroless process.

In yet another example, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) may be grown on the metal-based microlattice (in the place of graphene) to produce a ceramic microstructure that is an electrical insulator with high thermal conductivity. A process for growing h-BN on a metal-based microlattice is disclosed in the commonly-owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/230,070 filed Dec. 21, 2018, entitled “Hexagonal Boron Nitride Structures.”

Other ceramic materials such as alumina (Al₂O₃), zirconia (ZrO₂), titania (TiO₂), multilayers of alumina-titania, multilayers of alumina-zirconia, etc. may be coated on the fabricated metal-based microlattice template using Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), or chemical vapor deposition (CVD), or the like. Subsequent removal of the metal-based template (by e.g. etching) leaves a ceramic microlattice.

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a surface treatment methodology for functionalizing the fabricated metal-based microlattice. As it can be seen, the surface of the metal microlattice 36 may be exposed to a mercaptan-based compound. The mercaptan-based compound may be a hydroxylated alkyl mercaptan such as 3-mercapto-1,2 dihydroxy propane or it may be based on an isocyanate functional group such as isocyanate alkyl trialkoxy silane. The mercaptan-based compound bonds to the metal (such as e.g. copper, silver or gold) through the sulfur atom of the mercapto moiety resulting in a hydroxylated metal surface 38. The hydroxyl functional groups implanted on the metal surface may then be reacted with a reactive functional group from the pre-polymer matrix (which may comprise a mixture of oligomers). In the case of isocyanate-based mercaptan compounds, the free isocyanate functional groups may subsequently be reacted with certain functional groups of the organic polymeric matrix such as —OH, —NH, etc. resulting in the formation of chemical bonds at the metal-organic polymer interface. The polymer 42 for the composite 44 may be selected for its mechanical properties and/or electronic properties. Exemplary polymers include fluorocarbons (such as polytetrafluoroethylene) and polybutadiene.

Modifications are possible in the described embodiments, and other embodiments are possible, within the scope of the claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A composite material prepared by a process comprising: photo-initiating a polymerization of a monomer in a pattern of interconnected units to form a polymer microlattice; removing unpolymerized monomer; coating the polymer microlattice with a metal; removing the polymer microlattice to leave a metal microlattice; functionalizing the metal microlattice to produce a hydroxylated metal surface; reacting hydroxyl functional groups on the hydroxylated metal surface with reactive functional groups in a pre-polymer matrix; polymerizing the pre-polymer matrix to form a first metal-containing polymer; and dispersing filler particles of the first metal-containing polymer in a second polymer.
 2. The composite material of claim 1, wherein functionalizing the metal microlattice to produce a hydroxylated metal surface comprises exposing a surface of the metal microlattice to a mercaptan-based compound.
 3. The composite material of claim 2, wherein the mercaptan-based compound is 3-mercapto-1,2 dihydroxy propane.
 4. The composite material of claim 1, wherein functionalizing the metal microlattice to produce a hydroxylated metal surface comprises exposing a surface of the metal microlattice to a compound having an isocyanate functional group.
 5. The composite material of claim 4, wherein the isocyanate functional group is an isocyanate alkyl trialkoxy silane.
 6. The composite material of claim 4, wherein the process comprises subsequently reacting free isocyanate functional groups with —OH or —NH functional groups of an organic polymeric matrix.
 7. A process of preparing a composite material, the process comprising: photo-initiating a polymerization of a monomer in a pattern of interconnected units to form a polymer microlattice; removing unpolymerized monomer; coating the polymer microlattice with a metal; removing the polymer microlattice to leave a metal microlattice; functionalizing the metal microlattice to produce a hydroxylated metal surface; reacting hydroxyl functional groups on the hydroxylated metal surface with reactive functional groups in a pre-polymer matrix; polymerizing the pre-polymer matrix to form a first metal-containing polymer; and dispersing filler particles of the first metal-containing polymer in a second polymer.
 8. The process of claim 7, wherein functionalizing the metal microlattice to produce a hydroxylated metal surface comprises exposing a surface of the metal microlattice to a mercaptan-based compound.
 9. The process of claim 8, wherein the mercaptan-based compound is 3-mercapto-1,2 dihydroxy propane.
 10. The process of claim 7, wherein functionalizing the metal microlattice to produce a hydroxylated metal surface comprises exposing a surface of the metal microlattice to a compound having an isocyanate functional group.
 11. The process of claim 10, wherein the isocyanate functional group is an isocyanate alkyl trialkoxy silane.
 12. The process of claim 10, further comprising subsequently reacting free isocyanate functional groups with —OH or —NH functional groups of an organic polymeric matrix. 